Refuge du Promontoire

The Refuge du Promontoire is an FFCAM hut at 3092 m in the heart of the Écrins National Park, high above the Vallon des Étançons in the municipality of Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans. It is perched like an eagle's nest on the Promontoire ridge directly below the south face of the Meije and serves as a classic base for the famous Meije traverse, the Brèche de la Meije and other high-altitude tours; in winter and spring, it is a stage of the classic Tour de la Meije ski tour. The hut is usually open from mid-March to the beginning of May and from the beginning of June to the first weekend in September. It is particularly recommended during the more stable summer high tour season and for well-planned ski tours in spring. The normal ascent begins at the parking lot in La Bérarde; from there, the trail leads through the Vallon des Étançons to the Refuge du Châtelleret in around two hours and then continues over moraines and rocky ledges, partly via passages secured with cables and short ladders, to the hut. For the approximately 9.6 km distance, you need to plan around 1380 meters in altitude and around five hours of ascent; in winter, the longer ski ascent usually starts in Champhorent. The hut is mainly used as a base for multi-day alpine tours and challenging ski crossings; current conditions, any closures and the weather and avalanche situation should be carefully checked before each tour. The first hut on the Promontoire was built in 1901 as a small wooden hut directly at the foot of the south face of the Meije; in 1966 it was replaced by the current, more robust building, which is owned by the Fédération Française des Clubs Alpins et de Montagne and managed by the Comité Départemental Isère.